Dental implant and abutment system

ABSTRACT

A multi-unit dental implant system including a dental implant, a straight abutment, an angled abutment, and a plurality of copings or other components configured to universally fit on the cone-section of the straight abutment and the cone-section of the angled abutment.

CLAIM OF PRIORITY

This patent application is a continuation of U.S. patent applicationSer. No. 13/825,596, filed on Sep. 10, 2013, which is a U.S. NationalStage Filing under 35 U.S.C. § 371 of International Patent ApplicationSerial No. PCT/US2011/043784 filed on Jul. 13, 2011and published on Mar.29, 2012 as WO 2012/039819 A1, which claims the benefit of priority ofU.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/386,155 filed on Sep.24, 2010, the benefit of priority of each of which is claimed hereby andeach of which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The disclosure is directed to abutments and other components for usewith a dental implant. More particularly, the disclosure is directed toa selection of abutments for use with dental implants which provideversatility to a clinician while reducing the total number of componentsneeded.

BACKGROUND

Dental implants are commonly used as anchoring members for dentalrestorations. The dental implant is typically threaded into a bore whichis drilled into the patient's mandible or maxilla. The implant providesan anchoring member for a dental abutment, which in turn provides aninterface between the implant and a dental restoration. It may bedesirable to provide a multi-unit dental implant system which provides aclinician much versatility of component selection while reducing thetotal number of components required, therefore simplifying the entiresystem.

SUMMARY

The disclosure is directed to several alternative designs, materials andmethods of manufacturing medical device structures and assemblies.

Accordingly, one illustrative embodiment is a multi-unit dental implantsystem. The system includes a dental implant including a threaded shafthaving external threads and a central bore including an internalthreaded portion. The system also includes a straight abutment and anangled abutment. The straight abutment includes an external threadedportion complementary to the internal threaded portion of the dentalimplant. The straight abutment includes a cone-section configured toreceive a coping thereon. The angled abutment includes a body portionand a retaining screw insertable into a bore of the body portion. Thebody portion includes an anti-rotation feature configured to be insertedinto the bore of the dental implant which prevents relative rotationbetween the angled abutment and the dental implant while the retainingscrew secures the body portion to the dental implant with an externalthreaded portion complementary to the internal threaded portion of thedental implant. The body portion of the angled abutment includes acone-section configured to receive a coping thereon. The system alsoincludes a plurality of copings configured to universally fit on thecone-section of the straight abutment and the cone-section of the angledabutment.

The above summary of some example embodiments is not intended todescribe each disclosed embodiment or every implementation of theinvention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention may be more completely understood in consideration of thefollowing detailed description of various embodiments in connection withthe accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective exploded view of a straight abutment and adental implant;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a straight abutment coupled to a dentalimplant;

FIG. 2A is a cross-sectional view of the straight abutment coupled tothe dental implant of FIG. 2;

FIG. 3 is a perspective exploded view of an angled abutment and a dentalimplant;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of an angled abutment coupled to a dentalimplant;

FIG. 4A is a cross-sectional view of the angled abutment coupled to thedental implant of FIG. 4;

FIG. 5 is a first perspective view of an angled abutment for use with adental implant;

FIG. 6 is a second perspective view of the angled abutment for use witha dental implant;

FIG. 7 is a front view of the angled abutment for use with a dentalimplant;

FIG. 8 is a back view of the angled abutment for use with a dentalimplant;

FIG. 9 is a first side view of the angled abutment for use with a dentalimplant;

FIG. 10 is a second side view of the angled abutment for use with adental implant, which is a mirror image of the first side view;

FIG. 11 is a top view of the angled abutment for use with a dentalimplant;

FIG. 12 is a bottom view of the angled abutment for use with a dentalimplant;

FIG. 13 illustrates an exemplary placement of the angled abutment anddental implant in the anatomy;

FIG. 14 illustrates an exemplary placement of the straight abutment anddental implant in the anatomy; and

FIG. 15 illustrates additional components which may be universally usedwith either the straight abutments or angled abutments described herein.

While the invention is amenable to various modifications and alternativeforms, specifics thereof have been shown by way of example in thedrawings and will be described in detail. It should be understood,however, that the intention is not to limit aspects of the invention tothe particular embodiments described. On the contrary, the intention isto cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling withinthe spirit and scope of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

For the following defined terms, these definitions shall be applied,unless a different definition is given in the claims or elsewhere inthis specification.

All numeric values are herein assumed to be modified by the term“about”, whether or not explicitly indicated. The term “about” generallyrefers to a range of numbers that one of skill in the art would considerequivalent to the recited value (i.e., having the same function orresult). In many instances, the term “about” may be indicative asincluding numbers that are rounded to the nearest significant figure.

The recitation of numerical ranges by endpoints includes all numberswithin that range (e.g., 1 to 5 includes 1, 1.5, 2, 2.75, 3, 3.80, 4,and 5).

Although some suitable dimensions, ranges and/or values pertaining tovarious components, features and/or specifications are disclosed, one ofskill in the art, incited by the present disclosure, would understanddesired dimensions, ranges and/or values may deviate from thoseexpressly disclosed.

As used in this specification and the appended claims, the singularforms “a”, “an”, and “the” include plural referents unless the contentclearly dictates otherwise. As used in this specification and theappended claims, the term “or” is generally employed in its senseincluding “and/or” unless the content clearly dictates otherwise.

The following detailed description should be read with reference to thedrawings in which similar elements in different drawings are numberedthe same. The detailed description and the drawings, which are notnecessarily to scale, depict illustrative embodiments and are notintended to limit the scope of the invention. The illustrativeembodiments depicted are intended only as exemplary. Selected featuresof any illustrative embodiment may be incorporated into an additionalembodiment unless clearly stated to the contrary.

FIGS. 1 and 2 illustrate a straight abutment 30 configured to be securedto a dental implant 10 for use in a dental restoration. The implant 10may be generally cylindrical in shape, or tapered in shape, for example.The dental implant 10 may be a unitary member formed of a biocompatiblematerial, such as titanium or stainless steel, for example. The implant10 may include a head portion 16 at a coronal or proximal end of theimplant 10 and a stem portion 12 extending from the head portion 16 toan apical or distal end of the implant 10. The stem portion 12 mayinclude external threading 14 or other engagement features such as aporous metal scaffold for engagement with a bone during implantation ofthe dental implant 10.

The implant 10 may include a bore 18 extending into the implant from thecoronal or proximal end of the implant 10. The central axis of the bore18 may be co-axial with the central longitudinal axis of the implant 10.The proximal end of the bore 18 may be configured to receive a driverfor rotationally inserting the implant 10 in a bone. For example, theproximal end of the bore 18 may include an internal hex 20 for receivinga hex driver therein. The implant 10 may also include an abutmentinterface structure for attaching an abutment to the implant 10. In someinstances, the internal hex 20 may be provided as at least one componentof the abutment interface structure. Although the abutment interfacestructure between the implant 10 and an abutment is shown as an internalhex 20 within the implant 10 which receives an external hex of anabutment as described below, in some instances the arrangement may bereversed. Also, other types of implant/abutment interfaces arecontemplated, such as splines, octagons, lobes, torx, other geometricshapes, and other engaging configurations.

The abutment interface structure may additionally or alternativelyinclude an internally threaded portion 22 of the bore 18, as shown inFIGS. 2A and 4A for threadably engaging a component of an abutment toattach an abutment to the implant 10.

The straight abutment 30 may be configured to be secured to the implant10. For example, the straight abutment 30 may include an externallythreaded portion 32 configured to mate with and threadably engage theinternally threaded portion 22 of the bore 18. The straight abutment 30,which may be a unitary member, may also include a cuff 34 and a coneportion 36 having a threaded bore 38 extending therein. The straightabutment 30 may be configured such that the central longitudinal axis ofthe straight abutment 30, which is the central longitudinal axis of theexternally threaded portion 32 and the threaded bore 38, is co-axialwith the central longitudinal axis of the implant 10.

As shown in FIG. 2A, the tapered cone portion 36 may have an angle A inthe range of about 3.5° to about 20°, and the described system mayinclude a series of straight abutments 30 having different cone angles Abetween about 3.5° to about 20° in ascending increments. Also shown inFIG. 2A, the cuff 34 may have a height H in the range of about 0 mm toabout 7 mm, and the described system may include a series of straightabutments 30 having different cuff 34 heights H between about 0 mm toabout 7 mm, for example in 1 mm increments.

FIGS. 3 and 4 illustrate an angled abutment 50 configured to be securedto the dental implant 10 for use in a dental restoration. The angledabutment 50 may be configured to be secured to the implant 10, thus notrequire different implants 10 to be used depending on the chosenabutment.

The angled abutment 50 may include a body portion 52 and a retainingscrew 54 configured to secure the body portion 52 to the implant 10. Thebody portion 52 of the angled abutment 50 may include an anti-rotationinterface structure 62 configured to mate with and complement theabutment interface structure 20 of the implant 10 to prevent rotation ofthe angled abutment 50 relative to the implant 10 and allow forconsistent rotational placement of the angled abutment 50 at one of aplurality of predetermined rotational orientations about the centrallongitudinal axis of the implant 10. For example, the anti-rotationinterface structure 62 may be a hex projection which is insertable intothe internal hex 20 of the implant 10 at one of six angular orientationsabout the central longitudinal axis of the implant 10. It is noted thatthe anti-rotation interface structure 62 may be of a differentconfiguration which mates with and complements the abutment interfacestructure of the implant 10 to prevent relative rotation between theangled abutment 50 and the implant 10.

The body portion 52 may be secured to the implant 10 with the retainingscrew 54. For example, the retaining screw 54 may be positioned in thebore 70 and subsequent rotation of the retaining screw 54 using a driverengaged with the internal hex 60 of the head portion 58 may rotatablyengage the externally threaded portion 56 of the retaining screw 54 withthe internally threaded portion 22 of the bore 18 of the implant 10.

The bore 70 through the body portion 52 may include a threaded portion72 located intermediate a proximal unthreaded portion and a distalunthreaded portion. The threaded portion 72 of the bore 70 may be sizedsuch that the externally threaded portion 56 of the retaining screw 54cannot pass through the threaded portion 72 without rotationallythreading the retaining screw 54 through the threaded portion 52. Thehead portion 58 of the retaining screw 54 may be sized larger than thethreaded portion 72 such that the head portion 58 cannot pass throughthe threaded portion 72.

As can be seen from FIG. 4A, the major diameter of the externallythreaded portion 56 of the retaining screw 54 may be less than thediameter of the unthreaded proximal and distal portions of the bore 70,whereas the major diameter of the externally threaded portion 56 of theretaining screw 54 is less than the major diameter of the internallythreaded portion 72 of the bore 70. Likewise, the minor diameter of theexternally threaded portion 56 of the retaining screw 54 may be lessthan the minor diameter of the internally threaded portion 72 of thebore 70. Such a configuration permits the threaded portion 56 of theretaining screw 54 to be threaded through the threaded portion 72 of thebore 70, but prevents the threaded portion 56 to be axially passedthrough the threaded portion 72 without rotational movement.

The body portion 52, which may be a unitary member, may also include acuff 64 and a cone portion 66 having a threaded bore 68 extendingtherein. The body portion 52 may also include a longitudinal bore 70 forreceiving the retaining screw 54 therein for securing the body portion52 to the implant 10. The angled abutment 50 may be configured such thatthe central longitudinal axis of the bore 70 of the angled abutment 50,which is the central longitudinal axis of the anti-rotation interfacestructure 62, is co-axial with the central longitudinal axis of theimplant 10, while the central longitudinal axis of the cone portion 66and threaded bore 68 is at an acute angle B to the central longitudinalaxis of the bore 70.

As shown in FIG. 4A, the tapered cone portion 66 may have an angle A inthe range of about 3.5° to about 20°, and the described system mayinclude a series of angled abutments 50 having different cone angles Abetween about 3.5° to about 20° in ascending increments. Also shown inFIG. 4A, the cuff 64 may have a height H in the range of about 0 mm toabout 7 mm, and the described system may include a series of angledabutments 50 having different cuff 64 heights H between about 0 mm toabout 7 mm, for example in 1 mm increments. Furthermore, the angledabutment 50 may have an angle B between the central axis of the threadedbore 68 of the cone portion 66 and the central axis of the bore 70 andretaining screw 54 greater than 0° to about 30°, and the describedsystem may include a series of angled abutments 50 having differentangles B between about 10° to about 30°. For example, the system mayinclude a series of angled abutments 50 having angles B of 10°, 15°,17°, 20°, 25° and 30° options.

FIGS. 5-12 illustrate various views of the angled abutment 50, in which,FIG. 5 is a first perspective view, FIG. 6 is a second perspective view,FIG. 7 is a front view, FIG. 8 is a back view, FIG. 9 is a first sideview, FIG. 10 is a second side view which is a mirror image of the firstside view, FIG. 11 is a top view, and FIG. 12 is a bottom view of theangled abutment 50.

The cone portion 36 of the straight abutment 30 may be the same size andshape as the cone portion 66 of the angled abutment 50, and the internalthreaded bore 38 of the straight abutment 30 may have the same threadingsize and pitch as the internal threaded bore 68 of the angled abutment50, thus allowing a common coping and fastener to be used with both thestraight abutment 30 and the angled abutment 50. As such, the systemwould require fewer components and provide increased compatibilitybetween components of the system and universal usage of components ofthe system.

FIG. 13 illustrates a typical surgical placement of an implant 10 andangled abutment 50 in which the posterior implants 10 are placed at anangle to avoid anatomical features, and the angled abutment 50 is usedto correct the angulation of the implant 10 to provide a common line ofinsertion and removal of the dental restoration. FIG. 14 illustrates atypical surgical placement of an implant 10 and straight abutment 30which provides a common line of insertion and removal of the dentalrestoration. Thus, any combination of straight abutments 30 and angledabutments 50 may be used while maintaining a common line of insertionand removal of the dental restoration.

Screw-retained abutment systems are commonly used in dental implantologyto fabricate short span and full arch fixed removable dentures. Themultiunit dental implant system 100 described herein, components ofwhich are shown at FIG. 15, simplifies the creation of a screw-retainedrestoration by providing a full selection of components to addressdifferences in anatomy and different treatment options. In addition todental implants 10, the multi-unit system 100 includes a series ofstraight abutments 30 of multiple cuff heights, and a series of angledabutments 50 of multiple cuff heights and angulations. The multi-unitsystem 100 also includes a universal transfer system 110 for performingabutment-level impressions. The universal transfer system 100 uses thesame components for both angled and straight versions of the abutments30, 50. Similarly, the multi-unit system 100 includes a universal copingsystem for both provisional and final restoration that is compatiblewith all cuff heights and angulations of the screw-retained abutments.The system includes temporary copings 120 (titanium or plastic), goldcopings 130 with a plastic sheath 135 (final), titanium copings 140(final), and plastic copings 150 (final). The system may also includecopings made of ceramic or other materials such as acrylic or composite,if desired. The provided copings and transfers may be compatible for usewith both the straight abutments 30 of the system 100 and the angledabutments 50 of the system 100. For instance, each of the copings mayinclude a frusto-conical or tapered cavity for receiving the coneportion 36, 66 of the abutment 30, 50 therein, such that the copingsclosely mate with the cone portion 36, 66. Thus, the copings may beinterchangeably he used with the straight abutments 30 and the angledabutments 50.

In usage, the clinician would case plan and then place the dentalimplants, ideally to take advantage of location of the most bone andavoid anatomical structures. The clinician would then choose abutmentsto correct angulation and secure these abutments to the associatedimplant. The universal transfer would be used to record the position ofthe implant using standard impression taking techniques and theimpression in turn would be used to create a stone model. The stonemodel would he used in the dental laboratory to create the finalprosthetic restoration.

To facilitate creation of the final prosthetic restoration, theclinician may use the gold coping with plastic sheath to create aprecious metal restoration. For example, a lost-wax investment-castingprocess may be used to cast the gold coping into the final prostheticrestoration. The coping may provide a precise match to the cone featureof the abutment. Alternatively, the all-plastic coping may be used inthe casting. Another process for creating a dental restoration may usethe titanium coping.

The design and part offering of the multi-unit system as describedherein, may provide a clinician much versatility while reducing thetotal number of components required, therefore simplifying the entiresystem. Design features are also aimed to increase the simplicity of thesystem. For example, the unitary abutment construction of the straightabutments and/or the anti-rotational interface formed in the unitarybody portion of the angle abutment in conjunction with the separateretaining screw contribute to the simplicity of the system, as well asthe universal nature of the transfers and copings. Thus, the multi-unitdental implant system offers the user an advantage because the system isversatile due in part to the multiple cuff height and angulationoptions, as well as to the availability of a full complement of copingsfor creation of a tooth prosthetic. The system also benefits from thecommonality of parts between different cuff height and angulationoptions and the resulting reduction in parts count.

Those skilled in the art will recognize that the present invention maybe manifested in a variety of forms other than the specific embodimentsdescribed and contemplated herein. Accordingly, departure in form anddetail may be made without departing from the scope and spirit of thepresent invention as described in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A multi-unit dental implant system, comprising: a dental implant including a threaded shaft having a central longitudinal axis; an angled abutment configured to releasably secure to the dental implant, the angled abutment including a tapered cone portion configured to receive a coping thereon, and including a first cuff; a straight abutment including a second cuff and including a cone portion configured to receive a coping thereon, the straight abutment configured to releasably secure to the dental implant; and a plurality of copings, each of the plurality of copings having a tapered cavity and an apical edge, wherein the cone portion of the straight abutment and the tapered cone portion of the angled abutment are of the same size and shape such that the tapered cavity is configured to universally mate, interchangeably, with either the cone portion of the straight abutment or the tapered cone portion of the angled abutment, and the apical edge is configured to universally mate, interchangeably, with either a portion of the first cuff of the angled abutment or a portion of the second cuff of the straight abutment; wherein the first cuff is configured to be disposed at a first interface between the dental implant and the angled abutment, and the second cuff is configured to be disposed at a second interface between the dental implant and the straight abutment, and when disposed at said first and second interfaces, the first cuff and the second cuff each has a height between about 0 mm and about 7 mm measured from a proximal end of the dental implant to a proximal end of one of the first cuff and the second cuff, respectively, and wherein the angled abutment includes a first axis adapted to be coaxial with the central longitudinal axis of the dental implant, and includes a second axis adapted to be coaxial with the tapered cone portion and configured to be oriented at an acute angle with respect to the first axis.
 2. The system of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of said angled abutments and a plurality of said straight abutments, wherein each of the plurality of angled abutments and straight abutments are configured to interchangeably couple with the dental implant and the plurality of copings, and wherein the height increases in 1 mm increments among the plurality of angled abutments and the plurality of straight abutments.
 3. The system of claim 1, wherein the cone portion and the tapered cone portion are tapered at an angle of between about 3.5° and 20°.
 4. The system of claim 3, further comprising a plurality of said angled abutments and a plurality of said straight abutments, wherein each of the plurality of angled abutments and straight abutments are configured to interchangeably couple with the dental implant, wherein the angle of the cone portion and the tapered cone increases in ascending increments between about 3.5° and about 20° among the plurality of angled abutments and the plurality of straight abutments.
 5. The system of claim 1, wherein the angled abutment includes a distal projection comprising an anti-rotation feature configured to be inserted into and mate with a complementary anti-rotation feature of a proximal portion of the dental implant to prevent relative rotation between the angled abutment and the dental implant.
 6. The system of claim 1, further comprising a retaining member having an external threaded portion which is complimentary to an internal threaded portion of the dental implant such as to be configured for securing the angled abutment to the dental implant.
 7. The system of claim 6, wherein the angled abutment includes a second internal threaded portion having a third axis that is coaxial with the central longitudinal axis when the angled abutment is coupled to the dental implant, and wherein the second internally threaded portion is configured to releasably secure the retaining member to the angled abutment and is configured to allow the retaining member to extend through the angled abutment and into the internal threaded portion of the dental implant to couple the angled abutment with the dental implant.
 8. The system of claim 1, wherein the cone portion includes an internal threading of a same pitch and diameter as an internal threading of the tapered cone portion.
 9. The multi-unit dental implant system of claim 1, wherein the second axis is angled relative to the central longitudinal axis of the dental implant by less than about 30°.
 10. The system of claim 1, wherein the straight abutment is a monolithic, one-piece component and the angled abutment is a monolithic, one-piece component.
 11. The system of claim 1, wherein the cone portion of the straight abutment has a groove surrounding the cone portion, and the tapered cone portion of the angled abutment has a groove surrounding the tapered cone portion, and wherein the apical edge of each of the plurality of copings is configured to universally mate, interchangeably, with either the groove of the angled abutment or the groove of the straight abutment.
 12. A multi-unit dental implant system, comprising: a dental implant including a threaded shaft having external threads and an internal threaded portion defining a central longitudinal axis; a retaining screw having an external threaded portion; an angled abutment including a body portion, the retaining screw is configured to be insertable into a bore of the body portion such that the external threaded portion of the retaining screw mates to the internal threaded portion of the dental implant and thereby secure the angled abutment to the dental implant, the body portion including an anti-rotation portion configured to prevent relative rotation between the angled abutment and the dental implant, the body portion of the angled abutment including a tapered cone portion configured to receive a coping thereon; a straight abutment configured to be interchangeable with the angled abutment, the straight abutment including an external threaded portion complementary to the internal threaded portion of the dental implant, the straight abutment including a cone portion configured to receive a coping thereon, the angled abutment including a first cuff and the straight abutment including a second cuff, wherein the first cuff is configured to be disposed at a first interface between the dental implant and the angled abutment and the second cuff is configured to be disposed at a second interface between the dental implant and the straight abutment, and when disposed at said first and second interfaces, the first cuff and the second cuff each has a height between about 0 mm and about 7 mm measured from a proximal end of the dental implant to a proximal end of one of the first cuff and the second cuff, respectively; a plurality of copings, each of the plurality of copings having a tapered cavity and an apical edge, wherein the cone portion of the straight abutment and the tapered cone portion of the angled abutment are of the same size and shape such that the tapered cavity is configured to universally mate, interchangeably, with either the cone portion of the straight abutment or the tapered cone portion of the angled abutment, and the apical edge is configured to universally mate, interchangeably, with either a portion of the first cuff of the angled abutment or a portion of the second cuff of the straight abutment; and wherein the angled abutment includes a first axis and a second axis, the first axis adapted to be coaxial with the central longitudinal axis of the dental implant, and the second axis adapted to be coaxial with the tapered cone portion and oriented at an acute angle with respect to the first axis.
 13. The system of claim 12, further comprising a plurality of said angled abutments and a plurality of said straight abutments, wherein each of the plurality of angled abutments and straight abutments are configured to interchangeably couple with the dental implant and the plurality of copings, and wherein the height increases in 1 mm increments among the plurality of angled abutments and the plurality of straight abutments.
 14. The system of claim 12, wherein the cone portion and the tapered cone portion are tapered at an angle of between about 3.5° and 20°.
 15. The system of claim 14, further comprising a plurality of said angled abutments and a plurality of said straight abutments, wherein each of the plurality of angled abutments and straight abutments are configured to interchangeably couple with the dental implant, wherein the angle of the cone portion and the tapered cone portion increases in ascending increments between about 3.5° and about 20° among the plurality of angled abutments and the plurality of straight abutments.
 16. The system of claim 12, wherein the bore of the body of the angled abutment includes a second internal threaded portion having a third axis that is coaxial with the central longitudinal axis when the angled abutment is coupled to the dental implant, and wherein the second internally threaded portion is configured to releasably secure the retaining member to the angled abutment and is configured to allow the retaining member to extend through the bore of the body portion of the angled abutment and into the internal threaded portion of the dental implant to secure the angled abutment to the dental implant.
 17. The system of claim 12, wherein the cone portion includes an internal threading of a same pitch and diameter as an internal threading of the tapered cone portion.
 18. The system of claim 12, wherein the straight abutment is a monolithic, one-piece component and the angled abutment is a monolithic, one-piece component. 